Kinlochshiel
| Kinlochshiel | |
 |
|
| Full name | Kinlochshiel Shinty Club |
| Gaelic name | Comann Camanachd Cheann Loch Seile |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Shiel |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Ground | Kirkton, Balmacara |
| Manager | Johnston Gill |
| League | Premier Division |
| 2016 | 4th |
| Reserve Manager | Willie "DoonceMoth" MacRae |
| League | North Division One |
| 2016 | 7th |
Kinlochshiel Shinty Club is a shinty club based in Balmacara, near Kyle of Lochalsh, Lochalsh, Scotland. The club has two sides, a senior team which competes in the Premier Division and a reserve team in North Division One. Kinlochsiel also has an under 14's team and an under 17's team, who in the 2014 season got to the semi-final of the National cup. 'Shiel won their first ever senior national trophy when they won the MacAulay Cup in September 2016.
The club was the result of an amalgamation of three clubs Kintail, Lochalsh and Glenshiel, who first joined forces in 1958. These teams competed for the Conchra Cup alongside Lochcarron
The club won its first trophy in the form of the Sutherland Cup in 1962 and the Strathdearn in 1975. Whilst the club have been successful over the years, a troublesome patch in the 1990s led to Kinlochshiel dropping down to the lowest division in the North and working their way back up the leagues and re-establishing a reserve team. This has reaped long term benefits and the club are now considered one of the best teams outside the top flight. The club boasts international players Finlay MacRae and Keith MacRae in their ranks.
In 2006, the club was joined by the wider shinty community in mourning for Johnny "Ach" Macrae, referee co-ordinator for the Camanachd Association and former North Player of the Year who died at the age of 50. His funeral was attended by over 3000 people.
2007 was a very successful year for the club as they won North Division Three and the Balliemore Cup. The club won the Balliemore Cup on 1 September 2007 against Glenurquhart in a rearranged match at Newtonmore after the first game was rained out on 17 August 2007 in Oban. The first team also missed out on promotion to the Premier Division, coming second in North Division One. In 2009, the club reached the Balliemore Cup Final for the fifth time, losing 5–1 to Strathglass. Again, the club reached the Balliemore Final in 2010 and defeated Lochaber Camanachd on penalties after a late comeback which so them go 4–3 down in injury-time then force extra-time with the last hit of the ball. The final save in the penalty shoot out gained internet notoriety as it was accidentally saved by keeper Graham Kennedy with his head - technically a foul which should have resulted in a retake – and also an unwise decision to make regarding personal safety.
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